Cricket

Stuart Law, the former Australian batsman, has been appointed as the new head coach of the USA men's cricket team. Law's first assignment will be the three-match T20I series at home against Bangladesh ahead of the T20 World Cup in June, which the USA will co-host with the West Indies.Law expressed his excitement about the opportunity, stating, "It is an exciting opportunity to join USA cricket at this time. USA is one of the strongest Associate nations in the sport, and I believe that we can mold a formidable squad going ahead." He added, "The first task will be to prepare the team for the series against Bangladesh and then set our sights on our home World Cup, which will be huge."USA Cricket chairman Venu Pisike praised Law's experience and accomplishments, saying, "Stuart is one of the most accomplished coaches in the sport. He brings a lot of experience to USA Cricket with his varied assignments, particularly in developing international sides over the years." Pisike continued, "His appointment will only help the team grow to their full potential. We are excited to have Stuart on board just before the World Cup and look forward to lots of successes together."Law has a wealth of coaching experience, having previously served as head coach for Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan on an interim basis. He has also coached the Bangladesh Under-19s and led Bangladesh to their first Asia Cup final in 2012. In Australia, Law has held various roles, including batting coach to the national team, a position with CA's Centre of Excellence, and coaching the Under-19 team.USA will face Bangladesh in three T20I matches at Prairie View, where they recently defeated Canada 4-0 in a T20I series. Law's appointment is expected to bolster the USA team's preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup and help them achieve their full potential.

USA's Corey Anderson and Nitish Kumar led their team to a 4-0 series sweep over Canada in the T20I series, with a thrilling four-wicket victory at Prairie View.Chasing 169, USA faced an early setback, losing three wickets for just nine runs. However, Anderson and Kumar steadied the innings with a 104-run partnership. Anderson, in his second match for USA, anchored the chase with a 48-ball 55, including two sixes and six fours. Kumar was more aggressive, scoring a 38-ball 64 with four sixes and four fours.After Anderson's dismissal, Nitish and Shadley van Schalkwyk fell in quick succession. But Harmeet Singh and Nisarg Patel calmly guided USA to victory in the final over.For Canada, Harsh Thaker was the standout performer, scoring 38 runs and taking two wickets. Other batters made starts but failed to convert them into substantial scores.Canada's innings was characterized by a series of partnerships, with no batter able to dominate. Thaker's 24-ball 38, which included three sixes, was the highest individual score.Despite Canada's efforts, USA's bowling attack proved too strong. Rishiv Joshi dismissed Andries Gous with the second ball of the innings, while Saad Bin Zafar removed Aaron Jones and Gajanand Singh in the second over.However, Anderson and Kumar's partnership proved decisive, as USA once again demonstrated their superiority over Canada in the series.

Bangladesh and the United States will engage in a three-match T20I series in May as part of their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup. This will be the first-ever T20I encounter between the two nations.The series will serve as a crucial warm-up for both teams ahead of the global tournament, which will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies. Bangladesh has previously played two T20Is in the USA, both against the West Indies in 2018."This tour provides an ideal opportunity for the Bangladesh team to acclimatize to the conditions before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024," said Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, CEO of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. "We recognize the importance of this preparatory phase and are committed to making the most of this invaluable experience."Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka and South Africa in Dallas and New York, respectively, in the first two matches of their World Cup campaign. The series against the USA will help them adjust to the conditions and fine-tune their strategies.Meanwhile, the USA will also host Canada for a five-match T20I series in April. All games will be played at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston, Texas."Ahead of the important Men's T20 World Cup, these games will be vital for our team to get their working combinations, build team cohesion, and fine-tune strategies," said Mr. Venu Pisike, Chairman of USA Cricket.Both the USA and Canada will make their T20 World Cup debuts in the tournament. They are placed in Group A alongside India, Ireland, and Pakistan. Bangladesh is in Group D and will face Nepal and the Netherlands in Kingstown, West Indies.